Delaware 68, Rider 53

Women’s College Basketball
University of Delaware 68, Rider University 53

NEWARK, Del.—Despite a career-high 13 points from Kamila Hoskova (Czech Republic), the Rider University women’s basketball team lost 68-53 at the University of Delaware Monday evening at the Bob Carpenter Center.

“I’m not displeased with any of the effort tonight,” said head coach Lynn Milligan who saw her squad play their final regular season non-conference game.  “I think we are ready to compete in the MAAC from what we saw.”

Tied 33-33, Delaware (5-6) went on a 7-0 run, three points each by Hannah Jardione and Joy Caracciolo to open up a 40-33 lead with 16:15 left in the game.  Jardione finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds with Caracciolo scoring 14.

Delaware was led by 16 points from Erika Brown.

Hoskova hit a layup to get Rider to within four (44-40) with 10:58 left and another layup by Hoskova got the Broncs to within 45-42 with 8:43 remaining.

The Blue Hens responded with a 12-3 run to put the game away.

“Kam had a great game,” Milligan said.  “Sometimes we just have to remind her to just go play and if there is something we don’t like, we’ll tell her.  She is always looking for her teammates and I’m excited about some things we saw tonight.”

Delaware out-rebounded the Broncs 46-37.

“Delaware is a big strong team,” Milligan said.  “In the second half, they pounded the ball inside.”

Both teams struggled from the floor to open the game with junior Emily Fazzini (Wayne, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) getting the Broncs on the board 4:07 into the contest.  Fazzini finished with nine points and four rebounds in 28 minutes.

Trailing 11-5, Rider tied the score 13-13 at the 8:36 mark of the opening half with an 8-2 run, three points by Hoskova.

With Delaware leading 21-19, Fazzini scored five straight points as part of a 7-0 Rider run, putting the Broncs in the lead 24-21 with 2:50 left in the opening period.

The teams went into intermission tied 30-30

“I thought the first half, we did a good job pushing the ball and getting a lot of looks in transition,” Milligan said.  “In the second half, we put them (Delaware) on the free throw line a lot (23 times) and that kind of slowed our flow down offensively.”

The Blue Hens out-shot Rider 37 percent (22-60) to 35 percent (20-57) and Delaware was 19-25 from the free throw line to 10-18 for the Broncs.

Also for the Broncs, sophomore Robin Perkins (Willingboro/Trenton Catholic) had nine points with sophomore Julia Duggan (Marmora/Ocean City) adding eight points and five rebounds.

Former rivals in the old East Coast Conference, Rider and Delaware have now met 21 times with the Blue Hens winning 16.  The teams last met on November 24, 2013 in Lawrenceville with Delaware winning 65-54.  The Broncs last traveled to Newark, Delaware on February 9, 1991 during Milligan’s junior season when Rider won 69-64.

Delaware snapped a three-game losing streak and the Broncs lost for the second game in a row.

Rider travels to Saint Peter’s University on Friday for a 1pm Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference game.

-RU-